Umbrella



(No Model.)

I J. W. SNOWDEN.

UMBRELLA-.

No.569,248. PatentedOot. 13,1896.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN XV. SNOWVDEN, OF EVANSTON, ILLINOIS.

UMBRELLA.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters latent No. 569,248, dated October 13, 1896.

Application filed May 11, 1395. Serial No. 549,025. (No model.)

To all whom, it 77LCL7/ concern.-

Be it known that I, J OHN W. SNowDEN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Evanston, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Umbrellas; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to improvements in umbrellas, the object of the same being to provide means whereby the ribs and braces of an umbrella-frame may be secured in place without the use of wires, enabling a free movement of said ribs and braces, and means whereby a rib or brace which is broken may be readily and quickly removed and replaced without removing the other ribs and braces of which the frame is made up.

The invention resides particularly in the construction of the sleeves to which the ribs and braces are respectively secured. These vary somewhat in construction, owing to the different movements which are to be imparted to the ribs and braces of the frame. The one to which the ribs are secured is asleeve adapted to surround and be secured near the upper end of the umbrella-stick and has an outwardly-flared upper end which is slotted at intervals for the reception of the ends of the ribs. Fitting into the flared end of the sleeve is the shank of a plate having a slot at one point of its surface and a recess at another point. This plate rests against the lower flared end of the sleeve and is held in place by a series of flat springs secured to the outside of said sleeve and provided with inwardlyprojecting flanges. One of these flanges has a projection on its lower side which fits the recess in the surface of said disk and prevents the rotation of said disk. The inner ends of the ribs are formed with balls thereon which fit between the slots in the upper end of said sleeve and are prevented from slipping out of their seat by the plate secured to the upper end thereof. The sleeve to which the inner ends of the brace-rods are secured has its upper end turned over, forming an overhanging ledge, which is slotted at intervals for the reception of the ends of said braces. The said sleeve is also slotted at intervals longitudinally, and in these slots are secured at theirlowerends flat springs formed with shoulders at their upper ends. Surrounding the sleeve and fitting closely the lower edge of the overhanging ledge is a collar having a flange at its upper end which is slotted for the insertion of one of the braces therethrough and has a notch on its lower edge which is engaged by one of the springs in the slots in said sleeve. WVhen so engaged, said collar is locked and prevented from turning, and in its locked position the slot in its upper flange is opposite the solid portion of said ledge. This collar maybe released, however, by pressing in the spring with which it is adapted to engage, and when released may be turned on said sleeve. The notch in its upper flange may be brought opposite any one of the slots in the overhanging ledge of the sleeve for the purpose of inserting or removing the braces therefrom.

The invention consists in other details of construction and combinations of parts,which will be more fully hereinafter described and claimed.

I11 the drawings forminga part of this specification, Figure 1 represents a side elevation of an umbrella, showing my improvement applied thereto, the cover of the umbrella being removed. Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the sleeve to which the braces are connected, its surrounding collar being removed. Fig. 3 is a detail perspective view of the collar surrounding said sleeve. Fig. a is a bottom plan view of the sleeve to which the ribs of the umbrella-frame are attached. Fig. 5 is a perspective view of disk. Fig. 6 is a vertical section through the sleeve. Fig. 7 is a detail view of one of the ribs of which the umbrella-frame is made up.

Like reference-numerals indicate like parts in the various views.

By reference to the drawings it will be seen that 1 represents the umbrella-stick provided with suitable stop 2. The umbrellaframe is made up of a series of ribs 4 and braces 5, the inner ends of said ribs and braces being formed with a knob or ball 6 thereon, which are attached, respectively, as hereinafter described, to the sleeves 7 and S. The sleeve 7, as clearly shown, is secured to the stick 1 at a point near its upper end and 12 has a projection 14 on its innerside which is adapted to engage a recess 15 on the upper surface of the disk 11 for the purpose of locking said disk and preventing its independent rotation. This disk is perforated at one point, as, shown at 16, and when the disk is in its locked position it is directly opposite one of the solid portions of the outwardly-flared upper ends of the sleeves 7. By unlocking the disk the same may be rotated and the perforation 16 therein brought successively into register with the slots 9 in the sleeve 7. In this way the ribs 4 may be conveniently inserted into the slots 9, the balls 6 thereon fitting between the outer edge of the shank 10 of the disk 11 and the inner surface of the flared portion of the sleeve 7, forming a ball-and-socket connection therein.

If a rib should break, it may be conveniently removed and a new one inserted wit-hout removing the remaining ribs, as is necessary in the old form of construction where the ends of the ribs are connected by a single strand of wire. Then all the ribs are in place, the disk 11 is turned so that the recess 15 is engaged by the projection 14: on the flange 13 of one of the springs 12, and turn ing of said disk is thereby prevented.

The braces 5 are connected to the sleeve 8 in a manner somewhat similar to the manner of connecting the ribs 4 to the sleeve 7. This sleeve has its upper end turned down upon itself, as sh0wn,formin g an overhanging ledge 17, which is slotted at intervals, as shown at 18, through which slots the inner ends of the braces 5 are adapted to be fitted. lhis sleeve has a series of longitudinal slots 19, in which slots are secured at their lower ends springs 20 20, which project slightly beyond the surface of the said sleeve at their upper ends. At these points they are formed with shoulders 21, which act as stops for preventing the downward movement of the collar 22, surrounding said sleeve 8. This collar 22 has a flange 23 at its upper end which fits in close contact with the lower edge of the overhanging ledge 17 and at one point is perforated or slotted, as shown at 24. The lower edge of the collar 22 is notched, as shown at 25, and this notch is adapted to be engaged by one of the springs 20, which is slightly cut away near its upper end in order to fit said notch, as shown in Fig. 2. This notch and spring act as a lock to prevent the rotation of the collar 22. Then so locked, the hole or slot 24 is at the point between two of the slots 18 in the ledge 17. By depressing the spring 20, which is in engagement with the notch 25, however, the collar 22 may be rotated upon the sleeve 8, and the slots 24 therein will be brought successively into register with the slots 18 in the ledge 17. Vhen therefore one of the braces 5 breaks, it may be readily removed by turning the collar 22, so that the slot 24 therein comes opposite the slot 18, in which said rib is secured. The same may now be easily withdrawn from its socket, the slot 24L being large enough to permit the passage of the knob or ball 6 on said braces therethrough. A new brace maybe inserted in the same way, the collar then turned to its locked position, and none of the other braces disturbed.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is In an umbrella, the combination with the stick, of a frame made up of a series of ribs and braces having a knob or ball at their inner ends and a sleeve secured near the upper end of said stick, having its upper portion outwardly flared and provided with a series of slots, a disk fitting against the upper edge of said sleeve having a shank projecting downwardly therefrom forming a socket between said disk and the flared portion of said sleeve for the reception of the balls or knobs on said ribs, said disk being provided with a slot at one point in its periphery, a recess at another point in its periphery and springs for securing said disk to said sleeve so as to permit the rotation thereof, one of the springs provided with a depression for the purpose of locking said disk, and a follower secured to the braces near the lower end of the stick, substantially as and for the purpose described.

In testimony whereof I have signed this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

JOHN \V. SNOWDEN. Witnesses EDWARD F. CONNOR, JOHN H. I\IOORE. 

